Already quite useful to have important documents synchronized across all devices and computers you use, Dropbox becomes even more so when you expand its capabilities with scripting. By installing a simple Visual Basic script on your computer, you can ensure all documents placed in a specific Dropbox folder are automatically printed.

Setting Everything Up

Download the Eprint ZIP file (see Resources), extract the eprint.vbs file it contains and double-click it. The first time you launch it, the script creates a PrintQueue folder inside your Dropbox folder and, inside that, another folder called Logs. After doing that, the script sets itself to start when Windows does. While it's running, the script monitors the PrintQueue folder for new documents; if it finds any, it prints them and then moves them to the Logs folder. In other words, as long as your computer and printer are both on, you can print through Dropbox from any device simply by copying or moving files to the PrintQueue folder -- the printout will be waiting for you when you get back to your office.

About the Author

Laurel Storm has been writing since 2001, and helping people with technology for far longer than that. Some of her articles have been published in "Messaggero dei Ragazzi", an Italian magazine for teenagers. She holds a Master of Arts in writing for television and new media from the University of Turin.